Melbourne Patron

In my initial Googling of this place, I had to specify "restaurant" in the search term, because it was still new and Google thought I was looking for a bowling joint. Tenpin (67 Beach Street, Port Melbourne) is actually named after a giant bowling pin - not really relevant to South-East Asian cuisine, I would have thought, but hey! why not. I do very much like the bowling alley style font used in their logo, however. Retro and with a swish! Port Melbourne is a bitch to get to. Seriously, if you don't have a car, Uber or a cab is your best bet. (Sort out your s*^t, PTV !) I got there in a very roundabout way via PT, getting into the city first to catch the 109 tram right to the end (near where the Spirit of Tasmania docks) and walked five minutes down the road. Although annoying to get to, no one can deny this restaurant's premium position: literally across the road from the beach, looking out to Port Phillip Bay. We were there on a February evening (only a f...

I went there for the breakfast, but ended up trying the lunch. Late last year, Mighty Boy Eatery (59-61 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy) was all the rage, having taken opened on a prime corner location on the ever-popular Gertrude Street. Usually keen on brunch, I was initially dubious at the idea of South-East Asian inspired breakfast food. But then my sister visited from interstate, and I like to take visitors to new and interesting places. So we checked out Mighty Boy for a late brunch one weekday. Unfortunately, after a sleep-in, we were *too* late! Breakfast was no longer being served by 12.30pm, so lunch was our only option. I had been eyeing off the haloumi sandwich, and there were no other cheesy options on the menu for lunch to satisfy my craving. Pulled lamb shoulder roti wrap The lunch options available were all Vietnamese/Thai style (noodles, salads, roti wraps and rice paper rolls) and, appealingly, very affordable - a stark contrast to next-door neighbours, ...

The Orchid Room at Red Spice Road QV I'm feeling less than wordy today, so rather than an extensive recap in words, here are a bunch of pweeetty pictures from a work lunch at Red Spice Road QV (37 Artemis Lane, Melbourne) quite a few months ago. We were well looked after and the South-East Asian-inspired (essentially Thai) food was fantastic, both visually and taste-wise. Snappy, clean and bright Looking up towards the main dining area Hangin' out Large group table overlooking Lonsdale Street. And some heavy dudes minding the windows. Word on the street is that RSRQV is currently under renovation, reopening on 9 February, 2015 (I hope they don't do too much to their pretty events space, The Orchid Room ). Meanwhile, the more traditional-looking  original Red Spice Road venue (27 McKillop Street, Melbourne) is still open for business. The Orchid Room at Red Spice Road QV. I'd like a pond in my dining room, too. Actually, I'd ju...